Classroom Management & Behavior

Kristyn Klei Borrero, EdD, is an accomplished educational leader and coach who strives to make a profound difference in the professional lives of educators. She is the cofounder of No-Nonsense Nurturer® and has served as a classroom teacher, principal, and superintendent.

Chavez Phelps, PhD, is an assistant professor of school psychology at Indiana State University. There he directs the Hoosier Whole Child Resilience Initiative, which offers professional development and technical support to schools and other community agencies that support youth with trauma-related behavior and emotional needs.

Karla McCarty, EdD, has over 25 years of experience in K-12 education as a chief academic officer, director of district wide programs, school counselor, and teacher.

Dr. Ripley is currently teaching in the departments of elementary and secondary education at the University of Alberta and has over 35 years of experience at the elementary, junior high/middle school, high school, college, and university levels.

Students do not put up walls to avoid relationships, but to see who cares enough to break the walls down. Research shows that building relationships with students increases engagement, motivation, test scores, and grade point averages while decreasing absenteeism, dropout rates, and discipline issues.

Steve Gruenert, PhD, has been at Indiana State University since 2002, teaching educational leadership courses and doing research in the field of school culture and climate.

Justin D. Garwood, PhD, is a professor of special education at the University of Vermont (UVM). He is a former secondary English teacher and K–12 special education teacher. At UVM, he teaches courses on behavior management, emotional and behavioral disorders, and statistics.

Christopher L. Van Loan, PhD, is a professor of special education at Appalachian State University. His professional focus centers on fostering strong teacher-student relationships, promoting trauma-informed classroom practices, and improving supports for students with significant behavioral needs.

Erica Battle, an education expert with Life Changes in Progress Educational Consulting, has supported thousands of educators nationwide. She has held various roles in education, such as classroom teacher, instructional specialist, teacher mentor, and director of response to intervention, specializing in literacy.

This workshop is designed to equip you with the essential skills to confidently lead any classroom, whether you're a new teacher or a substitute stepping in. This session will focus on providing practical and well-tested strategies and resources to help you gear up for the start of the year.